Antenna assembly

Abstract

An antenna assembly, a wireless-communication-enabled device and an intelligent home or office appliance including such antenna assembly. The antenna assembly includes an antenna including an antenna body and a feeder, and at least one functional module arranged to operate with a function different from that provided by the antenna.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An antenna assembly comprising an dielectric resonator antenna including a dielectric resonator antenna body and a slot feeder, and at least one functional module arranged to operate with a function different from that provided by the dielectric resonator antenna; wherein the at least one functional module includes at least one electrical switch mounted in a respective aperture defined on the dielectric resonator antenna body, such that the dielectric resonator antenna body and the at least one electrical switch combine to operate as an electrical switch panel, the at least one electrical switch is arranged to control a supply of electricity to an electrical apparatus in electrical connection with the at least one electrical switch, and the dielectric resonator antenna is operable to radiate a communication signal to an external communication device. 
     
     
       2. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna is arranged to operate in a dielectric resonator TE 2δ1   y  mode. 
     
     
       3. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna is arranged to radiate an electromagnetic radiation including at least one of a broadside, an endfire, an omnidirectional and a conical-beam radiation pattern. 
     
     
       4. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna includes a non-resonant-type antenna. 
     
     
       5. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the functional module is physically connected to the dielectric resonator antenna body. 
     
     
       6. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the at least one aperture defined on the dielectric resonator antenna body is further arranged to at least partially accommodate or encompass the functional module. 
     
     
       7. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna body is a rectangular block of dielectric material. 
     
     
       8. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the dielectric material includes zirconia. 
     
     
       9. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the dielectric material includes at least one of silicon dioxide, acrylic and porcelain. 
     
     
       10. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna body is at least partially transparent. 
     
     
       11. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the slot feeder comprises a feeding slot structure defined on the dielectric resonator antenna body. 
     
     
       12. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the feeding slot structure is defined in a positioned shifted from a center position of the dielectric resonator antenna body. 
     
     
       13. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the slot feeder further comprises a microstripline or coaxial feedline adjacent to the feeding slot structure. 
     
     
       14. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the slot feeder includes at least one of a probe feed, a direct microstrip feedline, a coplanar feed, a dielectric image guide, a metallic waveguide and a substrate-integrated waveguide. 
     
     
       15. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna further comprises a ground plane adjacent to the dielectric resonator antenna body. 
     
     
       16. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the ground plane includes an electrical conductive sheet connected to the dielectric resonator antenna body. 
     
     
       17. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna further comprises a ground plane adjacent to the dielectric resonator body. 
     
     
       18. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna body is arranged to form a part of an electrical apparatus. 
     
     
       19. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the electrical apparatus includes an intelligent home or office appliance. 
     
     
       20. The antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the electrical apparatus includes a wireless-communication-enabled device. 
     
     
       21. A wireless-communication-enabled device, comprising an antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric resonator antenna is arranged to facilitate a communication between the external communication device and the wireless-communication-enabled device. 
     
     
       22. An intelligent home or office appliance, comprising the wireless-communication-enabled device in accordance with  claim 20  or the antenna assembly in accordance with  claim 1 .